The present invention generally relates to log splitting heads, and more specifically to a log splitting head of improved efficiency having a plurality of vertical and horizontal blade members integrated into a single unit.
When harvesting wood products, it is often necessary to cut large logs into smaller, more uniform sections. Size reduction facilitates further processing of the wood and transportation of the harvested wood by commercial vehicles. Furthermore, many uses for raw wood require a substantial reduction in size. These uses include combustion of the wood as a fuel source, and other related applications.
A variety of mechanical devices have been designed to split logs into smaller portions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,312 to Sakraida discloses a log splitting head having a base plate, two vertical plates, and a top plate assembled to form a box-like structure. The leading edges of these components are sharpened to form cutting blades.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,421,149 and 4,371,020 to Barnes et al; and 4,353,401 to Schilling all disclose circular splitting heads designed to cut a log into sector-shaped segments. These systems include a ring structure having a plurality of radially disposed blades which converge at the center of the structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,479 to Burdine discloses a mechanical wood splitter having a drum elevated above a log by a cable system on a support column. The drum includes a cruciform cutting assembly. In operation, the drum and cutting assesmbly travel downward from the top of the support column with sufficient force to split the log.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,556 to Williams discloses a knife assembly for producing wood chunks. The assembly includes a plurality of blades mounted to a plate for cutting wooden disks into wedge-shaped portions.
Italian Pat. No. 729,365 discloses a grate-like cutter including numerous vertical and horizontal blade sections. A log is forced against the cutter by a splitting ram, which cuts the log into a plurality of sections.
Notwithstanding the systems described above, a need exists for a splitting head which is capable of cutting both large and small logs into uniform sections in a fast and efficient manner. A need also exists for a splitting head which requires minimal maintenance and is usable in large-scale, commercial harvesting operations. The splitting head of the present invention has a distinctive arrangement of blades integrated into a single unit which accomplishes these goals.